


Sweet Puppy

by ImUrAngel696



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Baby Werewolves, Breastfeeding, Diapers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pacifiers, Werewolves, bottles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-03-18 11:59:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13681242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImUrAngel696/pseuds/ImUrAngel696
Summary: Harry is finally free from the horrors that overwhelmed his life. He has a new name, a new home, and a family. But the trauma catches up with him quickly and his mind cracks under the pressure. Now he must completely depend on others until he can heal. Can his Daddy and Papa pick up the pieces? Maybe, with some help from a neighboring werewolf pack and a lot of faith.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have not forgotten Black Fallen Angel, but this (possible?) plot was bugging me. I had to get it out, so I'm presenting it as a temporary one shot. If you all like it I'll expand on it later, but I want to get back to my original project. Let me know what you think in the comments, please and thank you for your time and love.

Orion Rory Black woke up to his alarm on a hot summer morning and tried to think of a reason worth forcing himself out of bed to greet the day. He didn't sleep very well; being plagued with nightmares had that effect. Unpleasant reminders of the war he fought to end as quickly and with as few casualties as possible. He managed to kill Voldemort in May in the Ministry atrium, having lured him there with his own creation of visions of the prophecy they shared. Thanks to a very good support system Orion managed to hold onto most of his family. They almost lost Sirius, but, thankfully, Remus was watching out for him.  
Now peace reigned, and he didn’t have to fight anymore. He didn’t have to train until he was exhausted. He didn’t have to be hyper-vigilant anymore. He refused to help track down the escaped Death Eaters. “Let the Ministry do something for once.” He remembered Sirius had said. Hell, he didn’t even have to be Harry-Bloody-Potter anymore either, hence the name change. After the war, he sat for his exams and graduated from Hogwarts early. He moved away from England with Remus and Sirius to Northern Ireland where they lived in Black Manor.  
During their self-imposed permanent vacation, Remus and Sirius officially Mated and received their marriage license and certificate. They even adopted Harry and changed his name to give him a clean slate. Actually, they adopted him twice. The goblins performed a blood adoption, which added the last two Marauders to his family tree and shared their magic with him. The side effects change his hair a bit from the fly away birds nest to gentle waves that curled around his ears and framed his face. His bright green eyes darkened to a bottle green and his golden skin paled to a peachy porcelain tone. He remained short at 5’3” and compact. He had tentatively started calling Remus dad and Sirius was papa. And they never even thought to mind.  
After they moved to Ireland, Remus contacted the local werewolves, the Highlands Pack, to inform them of the new family moving nearby. They were hardly considered a threat, but it was considered respectful to the Alpha and his Pack’s territory. Many conversations occurred before the little family decided to perform a second adoption ritual. Under the light of a full moon, Orion laid bare on the forest floor curled up in a submissive ball with a large black Grimm curled around him from behind, lending his warmth. Remus, Moony in that moment, slowly approached the being he considered his child. He acknowledged his Mate with a lick to his muzzle before returning his attention to the pale and weak little cub. It didn’t meet his eyes, remaining submissive, but it shivered with either cold or nerves, he wasn’t sure. But it mattered little as he began licking the pup’s shoulder. After moment he suddenly bit down on the flesh until he tasted blood and heard the pup yelp in pain. He tried to make it quick and when he let go he returned to licking the fresh wound as the virus rushed through his veins. By morning it would be over, and he and his mate would have their pup.  
Two months after that night and Orion had adjusted well to his wolf. He remained small and shy in nature, but he was happy, and he was coming out his shell bit by bit. He had dropped all pretenses that came with his old name and the fame attached to it. He was a new person and he was still discovering himself. He was still trying to adjust to the mentality that came with being an Omega. Apparently, his new position in the Pack came with a rush of new hormones that flooded his body and made his emotions a little unstable. But, the point was that he was happy with his family and he was happy being a werewolf. He wasn’t left behind on the full moon anymore and he was able to cuddle close to his parents without needing an excuse. 

Today was another new day, within his new life with a clean slate. So, he yawned and stretched, pulled himself out of bed and climbed in the shower. He finally had clothes that fit him, but he still preferred to cover up as much as he could. He put on his blue jeans and slightly oversized long-sleeve shirt and a pair of socks just as his name was called.  
“Orion!” Remus hollered up the stairs and through the manor. “Breakfast is ready!”  
“Be right down!” He called back with a smile. It was nice to sit with his family at a meal rather than be the one to slave over it and then be shoved away from the room. He calmly padded down the hallways and as he got closer he could literally follow the scent of food.  
He peeked into the kitchen and saw his papa sitting at the table, reading the news paper and nursing his coffee. Dad was manning the stove frying what smelled suspiciously like blueberry pancakes. Orion’s favorite. Dad’s cooking was the best, it made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Papa couldn’t cook to save his life. He was a Master Ward Smith and invented new charms and improved wards. Dad was in the process of writing a series of charms and defensive magic texts. They both worked from home which was nice. Orion pulled himself away from the wall and took a seat opposite of Sirius just as Remus turned around with a serving plate pile high with the fluffy, fruity goodness that Orion loved.  
Remus smiled at him and reached out to pet Orion’s hair. “Good morning, Pup. How did you sleep?”  
Orion leaned into the touch and sighed. “Morning. I still had a few nightmares, but I slept ok. I almost didn’t want to get up.”  
Sirius laid the paper down and began to serve himself breakfast. “There’s nothing wrong with sleeping in occasionally. I wish there was something that could help your nightmares, though.” They had learned the hard way that Orion was allergic to most sleep aide potions and the rest were highly addictive.  
“It’s ok, honestly.” Orion said.  
“I was going to ask how you were feeling lately. I know these last few weeks were quite the adjustment for your mind and body. You have been rather quiet and reclusive these past two days. Are you sure you’re feeling well?” Remus persisted, holding Orion’s chin in on hand and ran the fingers of his free hand through the inky black tresses as he examined his son’s features.  
Orion’s dark eyes sparkled a little as he gave his dad a small smile. “I’m ok, Dadd..” He cut himself off with a hiccupping gasp and quickly reached for his glass covering it up by pretending to need a drink. ‘What was that?’ he thought.  
Remus frowned, unsure whether to believe his pup, but he didn’t probe further. Their son may be acting strange but trying to force the issue would get them nowhere. Breakfast continued on a quiet note and afterwards the rest of the morning was sedate with Sirius retiring to his office and what few projects he had. Remus settled in the library to continue his writing. He expected Orion to either join him or head outside to soak in the sunshine that flooded the grounds.  
Meanwhile, Orion was in his room, brooding on his almost slip up. He almost said Daddy. He wanted to say it do badly, but I he shouldn’t be saying something so childish. He was 16 for Merlin’s sake. He wasn’t a baby. Deep down, he knew he want to be. It sounded so nice to be small and helpless, no worries and responsibilities. Being doted on and constantly held. Growing up was scary and since he was eleven Orion was scared often and he didn’t like the pattern his life had taken on.  
As his thoughts spiraled out of control his eyes glazed over and his thumb drifted to his mouth. Unconsciously sucking on the appendage only seem to further distress his confused mind. He needed comfort, but his young mind didn’t recognize his surroundings. However, his sensitive nose picked up the familiar scents of his parents, Pack.  
He scooted to the edge of the bed and slipped off. When his feet touched the carpet, his knees wobbled and gave out from under him. He sat on the floor for a moment, looking around and scared. He wanted his daddy. He could smell daddy and papa close. Instead of trying to stand, he crawled to the cracked door and out into the hall. He didn’t see anyone out here, but he followed his nose to another door. It was easy to open it and crawl inside the bedroom he found. Still no daddy or papa. Maybe they were hiding? He went to the closet he only found clothes that smelled like his parents. Where were they? Did they leave him. He missed his daddy and papa.  
He started crying as he pulled down clothes that felt familiar and smelled nice and curled up in the little pile. He pulled his thumb into his mouth again and cried himself to sleep.

Come the afternoon and Sirius was looking for his mate and pup. He found Remus in the solitude amongst the tomes and dust and snuck up behind to wrap his arms around his shoulders and startle him.  
Remus jumped when he was wrenched out of his thoughts by wondering hands. “You startled me, you incorrigible mutt.”  
Sirius chuckled in his mate’s ear. “Forgive me, luv. You are just too tempting for me to resist.” He kissed Remus’s neck and hugged him close. “Have you seen Orion? I’m worried he might be sinking into depression with as quiet as he has been.”  
Remus once again frowned with worry. He seemed to be doing that a lot in relation to thoughts of their son. “I haven’t seen him since breakfast. I think there might be something wrong that he’s not willing to talk about. He’s been too submissive for my liking. He seems to crave touch and then a second later he’s pushing it away, secluding himself away. I thought he might join me to read, but it’s been hours since I even heard him.”  
“I don’t like this. He was always more outgoing and talkative. Now he’s so shy he even hides from us. If it’s really been that long since he ate, then we should find him, if only so we can get to eat some lunch. He’s already tiny, if he doesn’t eat then he’ll fade away”  
“I’ll go check outside for him if you don’t mind checking his room.” Remus suggested as he stood from his chair. Sirius nodded and left the library in search of their hidden pup. Remus didn’t have to go so far. He only had to open the french doors to the attached balcony that overlooked the gardens and the small pond behind the manor. Orion usually like to linger amongst the various flora and fauna. But his first inspection of the gardens didn’t reveal his pup’s location.  
“ORION!” His voice disturbed a few of the birds but he received no answer. That was odd, Orion always answered. “ORION!” Again, no answer. Remus went back inside and went to see if Sirius had any luck finding their pup.  
Sirius was coming down the stairs to meet his mate at the bottom. Alone.  
“Is Orion coming down?”  
“I was going to ask you if you had seen him outside. He wasn’t in his room.” Sirius’s brow wrinkled with a frown to match his mate’s.  
“He’s not outside. I hollered for him and there was no answer.”  
“Are you sure? That’s not like him at all. Where could he be?”  
“I don’t know and I’m starting to worry.”  
“Alright. Let’s not panic just yet. It’s just like our hide and seek games on the full moon. I’ll shift and sniff him out. I doubt he went far.” Sirius pacified his mate before transforming into Padfoot. He immediately put his nose to the floor and started checking rooms, searching for where his pup’s scent was the strongest. His trail leads up the stairs and into Orion’s room, but he knew he wasn’t in there. Padfoot stopped in front of the door, spun in a circle twice, and was off down the hall again with Remus hot on his heels. Further down the family wing was His and Remus’s bedroom and it was wide open. Orion’s scent lead inside. Now why would he go in there?  
Cautiously, he stepped into the room, but he found no obvious sign of his son. Then the scent changed. It was no longer simply Orion’s sweet scent. It was acrid with sadness and fear. Salt indicated tears. Then he smelled urine. The combination came from the closet. Sirius transformed again and went straight for the closet. It was already cracked open. And he could still smell urine from inside. Upon opening the door, both men gasped at what lay within.  
There was Orion, lying curled in a tight ball, thumb in his mouth, snuggled into a pile of clothes. He was wet from the waist down, it had to be cold as he was starting to shiver, and his face was stained with tears and snot.  
“Oh, Merlin! Orion!” Remus gasped. Hearing his name, Orion startled and looked up at his parents with glazed eyes. He pulled his thumb from his mouth and reached up and started crying. He didn’t stand or even try sitting up. He just laid there and cried.  
Sirius was the first to move and immediately picked his son up off the floor, quickly noticing that he had to support Orion’s head for him and ran to the master bathroom. He set Orion down on the counter and started stripping him of his clothes. Remus noticed what his mate was trying to do and started the bath. Orion was still crying softly. He didn’t understand what was going on.  
“Papa.” He sniffled.  
Sirius’s heart broke. “It’s ok, Pup. What happened? Why were you in the closet?” He was trying to understand the situation.  
Orion heard his Papa’s voice; but where was Daddy?  
“Daddy!” He cried. The tears started anew, and his thumb was inserted to his mouth again.  
Both men froze at that one word. Suddenly, they realized that their sixteen-year-old son was behaving like an infant! Remus’s eyes were flooding when he looked at Sirius only to see that he was looking just as shocked and heart-broken. What was wrong with Orion? They had to pull it together if they were going to figure this out.  
Remus cleared his throat. “We need to get him cleaned up. Afterwards we should call the Highlands Pack to see if they can send a healer over.”  
Sirius took a deep breath and nodded to his mate, but he didn’t speak. He finished undressing Orion and quickly set him in the tub to wash the smell off his skin. As he washed his son he heard Remus moving around and felt magic in the air behind him, doing who knows what. The job took some time since his son was of no help at all lying on his back and his limbs were heavy, but he seemed to like the soothing warmth of the bath. As he calmed down, Orion could begin to focus on the face above him.  
“Papa!” He squeaked happily and splashed his hands in the water. He swished the foam around and reached for Sirius’s hand to play with his fingers.  
“Yes, Pup. Papa’s got you. Daddy is here too.” Sirius whispered. “We’re going to get you cleaned up and then we’ll figure out what’s happened to you.” Orion only giggled and waved a hand at his papa’s face.  
“Is he all clean? I have clothes for him.” Remus leaned over Sirius’s shoulder, peering into the tub. Orion looked up and smiled.  
“Daddy! Up, up!” Orion squealed and reached his arm up, demanding to be picked up.  
Remus gave his mate a watery smile then he waved his wand over Orion and cast a temporary feather light charm. He picked up his son and bundle him in a towel as he babbled happily around the thumb in his mouth. “Oh, sweetheart. What happened to you? You were fine just this morning. Is this a hex or something? Or does this have something to do with your wolf?” Remus laid his son on the bed and cast a drying and warming charm that left his hair a little fluffy.  
“Is this really necessary?” Sirius asked holding up the diaper that Remus had an elf fetch for him. He frowned at his mate with a bit of fear in his eyes.  
“For now, yes.” Remus took the diaper and began the process of padding his pup. After the cream and powder, he was buttoned up and wrestled into a onesie and footie pajamas. “Remember the mess we found him in? He incontinent for the time being and until we have some answers I don’t feel up to cleaning up a mess every ten minutes. I know it seems like overkill but what other option is there? He can’t tell us what happened or why he’s acting this way. We can only react and love him.”  
Sirius sighed deeply. “You’re right. I know that. I’m just scared for him. He’s sixteen and should be having fun now that the weight of the world isn’t crushing him. But he never seemed to know how to do that. Maybe this is a result of his lack of a proper childhood. I never noticed the signs, if there were any. Is this our fault for not seeing something that he needed?” Sirius sat on the bed, cradling his head in his hands.  
Remus hugged his mate, tears in his eyes, feeling just as scared for their innocent pup. “Don’t say that. This can’t be completely our fault. We didn’t know this would happen. We need to call the Highlands Alpha and get some advice and maybe some answers.”  
“Alright.” Sirius sniffed and squared his shoulders. “I’ll make the call while you keep Orion content.”  
“Alright, Luv.” Remus kissed his mate before he left the room. He looked down at Orion, smiling around his thumb and patting the bed with his left hand. He kicked his feet a bit too. He seemed excited for some reason.  
“Come here, Pup. Let’s go calm down a bit until Papa gets back.” Remus cooed at the boy on the bed.  
“Daddy.”  
“Yes, Puppy. Daddy is going to make sure you’re happy as can be.” Remus found himself wonder down the hall to a nearly forgotten room of the manor. It was a nursery meant for infants of the family until they outgrew the room and moved out making room for the next generation. Remus never thought they would ever have need of the room but had told the elves to preserve it. Now he was headed there for the purpose of comforting his teenage son. “Dobby. Winky.” He called gently.  
The two elves popped in front of him and were immediately confused. “Master Moony called?” Said Dobby.  
“Yes. I need you both to open the nursery for me. For reasons unknown, Orion is in need of the room. I need the rocking chair, changing table and crib enlarged and reinforced. Fresh linens and new accessories. Winky, I may need a bottle soon. Please make sure it has a formula specified to Orion’s nutritional needs. I fear we may be living this way for a while, so Orion is going to need a lot of new things.”  
Dobby and Winky exchanged a worried look. Then their resolve hardened. They both saluted Remus. “Yes, Master Moony. Only the best care for the Little Master. Winky will get bottles, clothes, diapers and other accessories. Dobby will take care of nursery and furniture.” Dobby said with all the seriousness he could muster.  
“Thank you.” Remus smiled sadly. He continued walking at a sedate pace as he stared down at Orion. His dark green eyes sparkling as he stared around the corridor. He could hardly imagine what was going through his puppy’s mind. Was he scared? Was he trapped inside his own mind? The very thought saddened Remus.  
When he reached their destination, he found the white door already opened for him. The cream carpet was soft and matched the light blue paint on the walls perfectly. The furniture was all done in white to match the trim and crown moldings around the room and they had been enlarged like he asked. Everything was perfect. Gods, he loved house elf magic. Dobby stood by the rocking chair, awaiting his next orders.  
“Thank you, Dobby. It’s perfect. If we need anything changed later, I’ll let you know. Would you mind informing Sirius where we are? He may be bringing guests with him as well.”  
“Yes, Master Moony. I will do that now.” Dobby said and popped away.  
Remus sighed as he sat down in the rocker. It even had cushioning charms on it. He loved house elves. He settled in to wait for Sirius and Orion’s bottle, which ever showed up first. As he rocked, he watched Orion. The effect was instant. He looked up at Remus with wonder and a smile. Apparently, Daddy knew what he was doing, so far.  
Winky popped into the room, bottle in hand. “For Little Master, good for the tummy and just warm enough. I have a new pacifier too, just in case.”  
“Thank you, Winky. I really appreciate this.” Remus said as he took the items.  
“A pleasure, Master Moony. We is always loyal to Little Master and his family.” Winky curtsied and then popped away again.  
“Is my puppy hungry?” Remus said to the little boy in his arms. “I have something for you to try. Let’s see how you like warm puppy milk.” He cooed as he pulled the thumb from Orion’s mouth. His lip wobbled, and he almost cried at having his new favorite thing taken away. That is until Remus rubbed his lips with the nipple of the bottle. Orion got the hint and latched on quickly, instantly enjoying the warm, sweet milk. He wrapped one hand around the bottle over Remus’s hand and the other grabbed Remus’s shirt.  
“I think that’s a win for the milk. Does my sweet puppy like that?” Remus whispered and leaned down to kiss Orion’s hair.  
Cradled in his Daddy’s arms, safe and warm. Yummy milk filling his belly. Rocking back and forth. The winning combination was lulling Orion into a content sleep. Which had to be when the duo gained an audience.  
Sirius came rushing down the hall, his long hair flying behind him. He froze in the door frame when he saw the bittersweet scene before him. His poor heart gave a sad throb when he saw how content and happy his son was. He slowly walked toward the rocking chair, not wanting to startle his family.  
“Luv, we have some guests waiting downstairs. I didn’t want to bring them up here and make you or Orion feel cornered.” Sirius whispered to his mate.  
Remus nodded. “Alright, thanks for that. Would you just look at him? He’s so happy in this simplicity. Just a bottle, a warm hug and a rocking chair and he’s ready to fall asleep. It’s amazing!”  
“I may be scared for what fate might have planned for our pup, but I’ll admit that he’s rather precious like this.” Sirius smiled. “Come on. We need some answers if we’re going to know how to proceed.” He said as he helped Remus stand.  
Orion noticed the change and he noticed his Papa was there too. Life was perfect. He felt his Daddy moving as he walked but the bottle never left, and Papa was petting his hair now. This was nice. He was almost asleep when his sensitive nose picked up something that wasn’t Pack. It smelled like gun metal oil and pinewood. He never smelled that before. If it wasn’t Pack then it wasn’t family. It wasn’t safe. He fought sleep so that he could see what that smell was.

Remus noticed Orion fussing drowsily, but he didn’t have a chance to find out what was wrong. They had reached the Parlor and were greeting their guests. The Highlands Pack healer was there. She was a short woman with black hair and a round, kind face and a gentle nature that went by Chandra. The surprise was Alpha Ricard. Tall, muscular and imposing with a chiseled jaw and hard blue eyes. He wore his dark brown hair long and in a thick braid. Both of them were dressed in hand made animal skin clothing that seemed soft with fur lining. Overall, their appearances were very wild and intimidating.  
With other wolves in the room and one of them an Alpha, Remus was wary but relaxed. He invited them into his home and the occasion called for a certain level of respect from all parties. Orion normally would have been the same way, if more than a bit shy. But now he was scared. He smelled the sweet peppermint of Chandra, but Ricard’s scent nearly overpowered her. Orion turned in Remus’s arms, hiding his face and burying his nose in his Daddy’s calming lavender and chamomile scent as he started to cry.  
“Alpha Ricard.” Sirius bowed his head in respect to the Alpha. “Healer Chandra. Thank you both for coming on such short notice.”  
“It was no inconvenience, Mister Black.” Ricard said. “When you mentioned your cub was in crisis, we wanted to see how we could possibly help. Cubs are precious to us. Even one not belonging to our Pack.”  
“What seems to be the problem?” Chandra asked.  
“Our son, Orion, has been exhibiting extremely submissive behavior since we performed the adoption ceremony almost two months ago. His turning appeared normal and he had adjusted to life on four paws quickly. However, since his first moon he has clung to Remus and myself and often hides. At sixteen, he should be more outgoing and exploring his surroundings. We have had to remind him to eat on many occasions, such as today. We noticed that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast and when we went looking in his usual favorite areas we could find him.” Sirius had to take a deep breath. Looking over to his mate as he tried to soothe their anxious pup made his chest constrict.  
“Since I am a dog Animagus, I was able to shift in order to track Orion by his scent. We play hide and seek on the full moon, so we thought he had hidden and fell asleep in his spot. We found him curled up in our bedroom closet, in a pile of clothes. He had been crying, he soiled himself and he smelled of sadness and fear. He woke up and his eyes were unfocused and glazed. He could only say ‘Daddy’ and ‘Papa’. He reached up as if demanding to be picked up. When I did so, he couldn’t support his own head. Since then he hasn’t said anything and has remained in an infantile headspace while we bathed and diapered him.”  
“Oh my.” Chandra had a hand over her lips. Ricard had a very concentrated look on his face.  
“I was nervous about feeding him solid foods.” Remus added to the conversation. “I thought he might choke, so I had one of our elves get me a bottle with extra nutrient rich formula. He had drunk it while we waited for your arrival. I had the elves open up the old nursery so that I could rock him. I can’t get over how infant-like he is right now. We adopted him so that we could give him a loving home and a safe environment to explore and find himself as he grew more confident after the life he has had. Now it seems like he has done the reverse. For two months we have watched him become sheltered and painfully shy. Now he has regressed to full dependency.” He said as a small tear ran down his cheek.  
Orion only looked up at his daddy, sucking nervously on the pacifier given to him to soothe his cries. He clung to Remus shirt tightly, shivering, and still whimpering. He could feel his papa’s hand petting his hair, but it wasn’t helping him.  
Chandra and Ricard sat on the opposite sofa from the small family, shocked to their cores.  
“I must admit, gentlemen, I have never heard of such an unusual case. I want to help, of course, but I’m afraid all I can do is give him a basic check up for health purposes.” Chandra sounded as lost as the parents.  
“A check up wouldn’t be amiss, Chandra.” Ricard said. “But I do have some experience in this area.”  
“You do?” Chandra said, shocked.  
“It was a long time ago, but yes, I do understand what has happened here.” He said nodding sadly.  
“Anything you can tell us would be a great help. Please, Alpha.” Sirius wasn’t begging, yet. But he wasn’t beyond it either.  
“Tell me about your cub. You said you adopted him and briefly mentioned his life previous to your involvement.”  
“We have known him all his life.” Remus said, petting Orion as he spoke. “We were best friends with his parents, so when they died we naturally wanted to take him sooner, but the world had other plans for him. You see, he was born Harry James Potter. We changed he name to Orion Rory Black to give him a chance at a clean slate and a new start. After his parents’ deaths he lived with his mother’s muggle aunt and her family where he was abused and even starved to the point that it stunted his growth and immune system. We would have gotten him out of there, but we didn’t know where he was. We didn’t find him until he was thirteen when I became a teacher at Hogwarts. Sirius had just escaped Azkaban and followed him to the school. We watched him separately and after a year of drama and death defying stunts, we vowed to watch him more closely. We couldn’t adopt him officially until January. Voldemort was defeated in May. On the May moon we performed the lycan adoption ritual. And he has been slowly declining since then. I don’t always remember the full moon nights, but I do remember thinking that the naked human lying on the forest floor looked so small and weak. But he was mine. My cub.”  
Orion open his mouth to yawn, losing the pacifier. “Daddy.” He whimpered quietly.  
“Shush, puppy. You’re okay, Daddy’s got you. There’s no reason to be scared.”  
“I see, now.” Ricard nodded in understanding. “Your cub has lived a hard life. His childhood was stressful and traumatic. It is likely he never had a true nurturing presence in his life after his mother and father died. When he was turned he became an Omega. Normally Omegas are the nurturers of the pack. But when Omegas like Orion experience a mental and sometime a physical trauma they can shift in the opposite direction, where the effected omegas require to be nurtured themselves. They become dependent on the pack for care and affection. Some have mentally regressed to a time when their lives were simple and happy. Mentally, Orion has probably regressed to an age before his parents died.”  
“But they died when he was fifteen months old!” Sirius gasped.  
“And he’s acting younger than that.” Remus added.  
“I don’t know why he has regressed so young. Only the probable reason.” Ricard shook his head. “All you can really do now is continue as you have begun. Treat him as an infant, providing him with affection and care as you already have. You expressed a desire to give him a clean slate and this situation, although heartbreaking when you consider his age and coordinating milestones, could be his chance for a happy childhood. I don’t know if he will ‘grow’ out of it or not though. I’m sorry I don’t have a better prognosis for you gentlemen. I would, however, like to extend the support of my pack and our resources to aid the young cub.”  
Remus could only cuddle Orion as he silently cried for his poor puppy. They couldn’t really help, just simply support the family in their time of crisis. For that’s what this was; a crisis. Orion should be a happy, thriving sixteen-year-old preparing for adulthood. Apparently he was too damaged for that opportunity.  
Sirius was just as filled with disappointment. He always felt that if he could have escaped that prison sooner, found Orion faster, maybe he could have saved his son sooner than they did. At one time he thought about steeling Orion away from the wizarding world and moving overseas. But he knew that the war would still find Orion no matter how far they ran. It was smarter to end the war quickly and then take a permanent vacation. But at what cost? Orion may have been physically in one piece when the dust settled, but his mind seemed to have fractured in order to give himself a reprieve from the stressors of life.  
“Thank you, Alpha Ricard. We appreciate the sentiment. Thank you for coming to talk to us and offering what knowledge you could. I admit, I wish you had better news, but I suppose we can live with this. We still have our son, but we get to give him the happy childhood he deserves and perhaps help him to heal from his past as well.” Sirius said sadly as he reached out to shake the Alpha’s hand.  
Ricard shook the hand offered. “No thanks are necessary. I came to help your son any way I could, and though I feel I fell short of that goal, I mean what I said, Mister Black. It’s not an empty placation. You have the support of the Highlands Pack.”  
Chandra stood and moved to Remus’s side and placed a hand on his arm. “Mister Black, I’m sorry that I can only offer my medical expertise and my listening ear to you. But you have them freely. Would you allow me to examine your son for you so that you have a better understanding of his health?”  
“Yes, please.” Remus sniffed. “Thank you, Miss Chandra. I admit that I worry constantly about Orion’s health.”  
“You can just call my Chandra, Hun. Don’t worry, you don’t have to put him down. I’ll just run a few simple test charms.” She flicked a thin wand over Orion and a few green colored sparks lit the tip of her wand, then Orion’s turned a light shade of yellow and then a piece of parchment appeared in thin air with what seemed to be the results on it. Chandra read it quickly humming to herself. “Well, he is definitely underweight, by about thirty pounds. He’s a bit anemic, but that can be treated with a supplemented diet. I did get a summarized version his medical history, but nothing appears to be presently troubling him.”  
“I can easily modify his diet to include supplements. I always knew he was too light, but I never imagined it was thirty pounds.” Remus rocked Orion back and forth. “Oh, my sweet puppy. We got a long road ahead, don’t we?”  
Orion only looked from Remus to Chandra and back again with sleepy eyes.  
“He’s a beautiful boy.” Chandra cooed. “Ricard, come here and meet this sweet boy.”  
Ricard smiled and slowly approached to get a closer look at the cub. When he was in view, Orion’s gaze turned to look at the new face. Those dark green eyes peered into blue seemingly read the man’s soul. Suddenly he reached out a hand for the man. Ricard was surprised at the cub’s forwardness, but he met his hand halfway and grasped it lightly. He felt the wild magic under tender skin and the acceptance that came with pure innocence. Ricard smiled down at Orion when the boy mock growled lightly, causing everyone to laugh.  
“Brave little cub, challenging an Alpha.” Ricard chuckled. He looked to Remus for a moment. “May I?”  
Remus nodded and passed his pup to the other wolf to hold.  
Ricard cradled Orion to his chest with one strong arm and let him play with his other hand. “Oh my, aren’t you just too cute for your own good.” The Alpha said. “I bet you have your daddies wrapped around your finger in no time.”  
Orion spat out the pacifier in order to babble content nonsense to the big wolf. He was bigger than Papa. Now that he had gotten comfortable around this new scent, he liked it. He wanted to tell him so. It was a lot of babbling mixed with growls, but it seemed to get his point across since the big wolf smiled at him. Ricard listened to the little cub practice his lycan vocalizing with adoration. He responded much the same, but he simply started a low growl that rumbled deep in chest. Orion squeaked and squealed happily as he felt the vibrations surround him.  
“I think Orion made a friend.” Sirius said from where he stood holding Remus to his side.  
“He seems to really like Ricard. Most of the pack cubs like him well enough, but he rarely spends on-on-one time with them.” Chandra said, smiling at the picture of the big Alpha holding the small teenager in his arms like an infant. It was a bit surreal.  
“He’s so light.” Ricard marveled at the boys’ size. “You said he was sixteen, but he could pass for a twelve-year-old.”  
“We know.” Sirius nodded sadly. “It’s been one of our main concerns since we found him over three years ago.”  
“He suffered at the hands of his muggle relatives from a young age. One of their favorite punishments was refusing him food. The starvation shrunk his stomach over time to the extent that he’s lucky if he can finish a quarter of a regular plate.” Remus explained. “Maybe those supplement bottle will help him.”  
“Poor little cub,” Ricard cooed at Orion. “You’re so small. We must feed you more to build your strength if you’re going to run with the pack.” Smiling, Ricard looked to the parents again. “He’s going to need high calorie, high protein foods. If you’re worried about choking just smash everything to a baby food consistency. He’s going to need more than milk and formula.”  
“Oh, yes. Absolutely. If you like, I can write a list of suggested foods and even some herbs that can improve his appetite.” Chandra interjected.  
“We’d appreciate that. Thank you.” Remus said. He was watching Orion interact with the larger werewolf as if he’d known him forever. It was quite adorable.  
Orion was loving the attention of the big wolf. He had nice eyes and a soft voice. He held Orion so safe in his big arms as he swayed from side to side. He was getting sleepy. His eyes were almost closed when he started to feel wet and yucky. He didn’t like it and he wanted the feeling gone. He started to whimper and fuss.  
“Oh, what’s wrong, little one?” Ricard asked the cub. His nose picked up the smell of a soiled diaper. “Are you feeling yucky? I think someone needs a change.”  
Remus stepped up to take Orion back. “Come to daddy, puppy. I’ll take care of it.” Orion curled into Remus’s neck, sniffling in discomfort. “I’ll take him back upstairs. I might lay him down after his change.”  
Sirius nodded. “He might be due a nap by now. Go ahead, Luv. We’ll finish down here soon.” He kissed his mate and then his son.  
Ricard noticed that Sirius was still floating in a cloud of misery. “Are you going to be alright, Mister Black?”  
“I will be. This has thrown me, us, for a loop. This wasn’t what we had in mind for Orion. But I suppose we can only move forward and continue to give him the love he deserves. It never occurred to me to stop doing that, but I never thought we would go back to changing diapers.”  
“I understand.” Ricard nodded as he laid hand on Sirius’s shoulder in support. “Please don’t hesitate to call us even if it’s just to talk.”  
“Thank you. It means a lot to know we have a life line should we need it. We are used to flying by the seat of our pants”  
“Since this was the first he showed signs of regressing, I don’t suppose you know of any uncharacteristic behavior during the full moon. Has he shown any signs of being rather young as a wolf?”  
Sirius looked away from the Alpha as he thought back to those recent jaunts under the moon. “I don’t believe he has acted younger, but he has been very effected by anxiety and fear. Every moon since we adopted him we have taken him out into the forest to a clearing for the transformation. We refuse to lock him up. We warded the area to contain werewolves without harm. There is a small creek and lots of hiding places for small animals, plenty of space for him to run. But he doesn’t run like a rambunctious pup. I’ll change first and curl up around Orion as he, and Remus, changes. He’s still small as a wolf and he’s completely black and fluffy. After the change he is always overwhelmed by his senses. After his first moon he has taken to not opening his eyes until he calms down. He will change and then crawl into a hallow log to hide for at least twenty minutes.” Sirius dropped his head in hands. “He scared Remus and I when he did that. We thought something was wrong with him. He just hides until his eyes and ears adjust. When he comes out he sticks close to us. The last time we were out there he was laid curled up to Remus’s side when Remus stood up too quick. Orion didn’t get up with him. He tucked himself into a small ball and tried to hide in the grass like a fawn. He was so scared. We didn’t notice for a few minutes, we had walked to the creek to drink. Usually Orion is right there, sometimes directly underneath us. We lost him for a few minutes because he thought Remus stood to face a threat that Orion couldn’t see. And when I left too he stayed down to hide. We ran back to where we last saw him and found him, as I said, curled up and scared. Remus laid back down and licked him to comfort him. He only tucked into Remus tighter and hid his face against his belly, panting and shivering. I have never seen him so scared before.”  
“What happened when the moon went down?” Ricard asked quietly.  
“He slept through the change like Remus did. When he woke up, he was a bit delirious. He was crying and muttering ‘don’t leave me’ over and over. I think he thought we had left to fight something and we weren’t coming back.” Sirius’s voice was thick with emotion and his eyes were wet.  
“That settles it.” Ricard declared. “I want to see Orion on a full moon. I want to observe his behavior. I was going to invite your family to run with my pack. But I won’t do that yet. It might overwhelm Orion if we jump to that step. I want see him in his environment first.”  
“I’ll talk to Remus about it since he runs the show on the full moon. I don’t think there will be a problem, but I need to explain to him why we are doing this. He may not remember every detail from that night, so I may have to refresh his memory.”  
“There’s time. The full moon is still a week away. Until then, we will leave you to talk and settle into a new routine with your son. I hope to see you all soon.”  
“Please call if you need us, Mister Black. I’m afraid we have been charmed by that sweet puppy of yours.” Chandra said.  
“I will. Thank you, for everything.”  
“You are very welcome. Good evening to you and your family.” Ricard said as he pulled the other man in for a hug, scenting him as a friend.  
“Good evening to you both.”

When both wolves had left via floo, Sirius closed his eyes and turned his head skyward. His shoulders dropped helplessly, and his breath rushed out in a load puff. He knows he needs to have a discussion with Remus and it may just wrench his heart out his chest to have to relive that night, seeing their pup helpless and scared of being abandoned. But, as a father, he will do everything in his power to help his son, even enlist the help of other wolves. Remus may not like other wolves intruding on his territory, but he will agree, for Orion.  
Sirius wiped his eyes and headed up the stairs to tend to his family and to smother himself in his mate’s arms. Their talk could wait till morning.


	2. Poor Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orion gets worse before he gets better. Recovery is a very long road, indeed.

Over the next twenty-four hours the small family started to settle into some semblance of a routine. Cry, change, cuddle... Cry, chan- nope- bottle, cuddle, sleep... Cry, change, cuddle, _change!,_ bottle, sleep. It seemed to be going well after getting over Orion's first bowel movement. Although with each feeding he accepted less and less. Overall, he appeared sad and melancholic but he never refused the attentions of his Daddy and Papa 

 

Orion was waking up to greet the day the same way most babies do; loudly. He was laying in his large crib, on his back, and snuggled under his soft, green blanket, dozing peacefully when the feeling of a full diaper pulled him from the arms of Morpheus . It was squishy and getting colder by the minute. He hated it and showed it by scrunching his face. If that wasn't bad enough, he didn't know where his daddy and papa were either. Their scents were faint and the room was too quiet. He was all alone. So he did the only thing he could do. Soft sniffles and tears quickly dissolved into wailing and rivers that ran down the sides of his face and matted his hair.

 

Loud cries of a distressed child woke Remus from the dead. He was on his back with Sirius draped over his chest and drooling on him. The abrupt noise caused the memories of the previous day to slam into the forefront of his mind. He gasped and sat upright so fast that he pushed Sirius away, whose momentum forced him to roll over the edge of the mattress. He paid no attention to the loud thump or the groan of pain. He could only focus of the cries of his pup as he dashed from the bed in just his boxers. He rushed into the nursery and found Orion squirming under his blanket and crying so hard that his face was flushed.

 

“Hey, Puppy.” Remus called as he approached the crib. “What's wrong, huh? Do you need changed?” He asked, not really expecting and answer, as he lowered the side rail down.

 

Orion's cries lowered in volume until he was back to sniffling and he was reaching for his daddy. Overall, he looked pretty sad. “Daddy,” he moaned.

 

“Oh, poor baby. You are not a morning pup, I see.” Remus cooed. He picked his son up under the arms and settled him against his shoulder and supported his butt. “You're just like your Papa. Both of you aren't fully functional until at least ten.” Orion huffed and puffed under his daddy's chin, scenting him and soothing his fears. “Come on, let get you changed and then we will get you something to eat.”

 

Orion didn't like being laid down on the changing table, he wanted to snuggle some more. He scrunched his face again when the diaper was pulled open and off of his bum. The cold air made him shiver and it only got worse with the wipes. Tears gathered in his eyes again and he was about make his displeasure known when Daddy performed a new trick.

 

Remus saw the meltdown coming and quickly pushed a pacifier between Orion's lips. He immediately started sucking on it and quieted down. “There we go, Luv. No more tears,” he whispered. “We are almost done. I'm sorry this is taking a bit longer than either of us like, but you used to be smaller when Daddy did this for you. I remember one time when Papa tried to change you and you peed all over him.” As he talked, he kept a quiet and soothing tone to his voice. With their sensitive hearing, werewolves didn't need to speak very loud to be heard. Beside the calm helped to reassure Orion's nerves. Poor thing had a bitter scent of sadness and anxiety on him still.

 

Once Orion was clean and in a fresh diaper Remus rummaged through a drawer for a t-shirt onesie, soft cotton pants and cozy socks all in shades of light blue. Orion simply laid there and sucked on his bink as left over tears continue to ooze from the corners of his eyes. His eyes were glazed and drifting around the room, like he was lost or something.

 

“Ok Puppy, we are all done.” Remus murmured. He pricked Orion up again and tucked him up, under his chin. Orion curled his arms between himself and Remus and just tried to breathe in his daddy's scent. “Let's go find Papa and get some breakfast in you. How does that sound, hmm? Are you hungry sweetheart?”

 

After falling out of bed and onto his ass, Sirius got up - rubbing his sore ass – and slowly followed Remus to the nursery. He stood in the doorway waiting to see if he could do anything to help. But Remus seemed to have everything under control, so Sirius decided to help in another way. He went back to the master bedroom. As he got dressed, he called for Dobby.

 

“Good morning, Master Padfoot.” Dobby greeted, hopping on the balls of his feet. “How can Dobby help?”

 

“Good morning to you too, Dobby. I was hoping you could help me by preparing a bottle and some mashed banana and baby cereal for Orion and simple eggs and toast for Remus and I. I want to bring Orion down and feed him while Remus gets dressed but you know that I can't cook worth a damn. You can have Winky help you if needed.” Sirius rambled out. For some reason he was anxious to spend time with his pup.

 

Dobby bobbed his head, nodding so hard that his bat-like ears flapped. “Of course, Master Padfoot! I will get Winky to make Little Master's puppy milk and special breakfast while I cook eggs and toast. Should I make coffee and tea too?”

 

“Please and thank you, Dobby.” Sirius sighed gratefully. He and Remus will need something strong before they have a serious talk.

 

His mate had the greatest timing. Sirius had just cinched and buckled his belt when Remus came in with their adorable pup cuddled against his naked chest. He had to admit, even in his thirties, Remus was still as sexy as ever. The fact that he was holding their son only made him sexier in some kind of domestic way. Sirius could only smile at his family.

 

“Morning, Luv.” Sirius greeted his mate with a sweet kiss. “I have the elves on breakfast duty, so you don't have to rush downstairs. I can take Orion down for his bottle while you get dressed.”

 

Remus smiled at his mate thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Siri.” He rubbed his face along Sirius's jawline, scenting him while they hugged and squeezed Orion between them. Orion hardly moved, simply squeaking from behind his pacifier. Otherwise, he remained still and calm, surrounded by the complete scent of Pack.

 

“You didn't seem to need me in the nursery, but I still wanted to help. I think we should just take things slowly and get to know this new side of our pup. After breakfast I need to talk to you about what Ricard and I discussed after you left us.” Sirius said slowly, his mouth was tight. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation, but it needed to happen.

 

“What did you discuss?”

 

“Plans for the next full moon. Ricard wants to see how Orion behaves when he's transformed. I told him I would talk to you about the possibilities, since Moony runs that show. However, this can wait until we have eaten and I've had my coffee.” Sirius said while holding his mate and rubbing Orion's back. “I promise to have your tea waiting for you too.” Remus was frowning with worry again but he agreed to waiting.

 

“Now gimme my puppy,” Sirius cooed at Orion. “We are hungry and Daddy needs to get dressed.” Orion looked at his Papa with glazed, far off eyes. He wasn't very motivated to move from his comfy spot. “Awe; come here, sweets. Why are you so sad?” Sirius pulled Orion into his arms to hold him.

 

Orion didn't like being shifted and whimpered pathetically. He just wanted to snuggle where he knew he was safe. He was fine where he was. Why was Papa moving him? When he was still again, he curled his fist in Sirius's shirt and laid his head on his shoulder with his face tucked into the long hair and sniffed as he sucked harder on the pacifier.

 

“I don't think he appreciated waking up wet and alone. He never did like being up this early anymore than you do.” Remus said. “He's been a bit weepy since he was changed.” He headed for the bathroom to start his morning ablutions.

 

“Maybe some food will help. We'll see you downstairs in a bit.” Sirius said as he walked out of the room.

 

Down in the kitchen breakfast was already waiting, courtesy of Winky. The scent of coffee permeated the air and hot eggs, bacon and toast were plated and kept under warming charms. Next to the plate is a small yellow bowel filled with warm cream of wheat and mashed banana with a small spoon perfect for baby portions, also under a warming charm.

 

Sirius took a seat and positioned Orion across his lap and cradled him in the crook of his left arm. He still looked sleepy as he gazed up at his Papa. Sirius picked up the little spoon and swirled it in the cereal and after testing the temperature, he removed the pacifier and offered the spoon to Orion.

 

Orion felt something prodding his lower lip and instinctively opened his mouth to accept and inspect the offering. Whatever this strange substance was called, it was warm, mushy and sweet. He liked how it settled in his belly, making him warm and comfy. Papa gave him more and more until he couldn't take another bite. Now that he was full he just wanted to snuggle and sleep some more, comforted by the safe scent of his Papa.

 

Sirius shifted Orion a bit and tried to give him another bite, but he whined and turned away from the spoon. Sighing, he put the spoon down. “I was hoping I could get you to eat more than half, but I suppose that was wishful thinking. You only had six tiny bites, Puppy. You need to eat more than that if we are help you get better.” Orion only snuffled against Sirius shirt, choosing to ignore the world in favor of sleep. “I guess we can try for more a little later.” He said resignedly. He simply rocked his son as he drank his coffee and waited for Remus to join them before eating.

 

“How did he do for you?” Remus asked when he walked into the kitchen. His hair was still damp and he looked relaxed in simple jeans and black turtleneck shirt.

“Not very good. He only took six small bites of his already very small breakfast before he called it quits and fell asleep.” Sirius relayed. “I had hoped he might eat more of the simple food if it was portion for a baby, but it seems like he ate even less than his normal appetite.”

 

“We should try again after he wakes up.” Remus suggested. “He was rather morose this morning.”

 

“All we can do is keep trying. At least we can be sure that he's not skipping meals now. Maybe we should try documenting his meals so that we can track his progress and catch any regression before it gets worse.” Sirius was just spit balling but Remus was nodding along.

 

“It's a good idea, Luv. After I get that list of foods and herbs from Chandra we can start a journal for Orion. Our first priority is getting his weight up and his vitamin levels back to normal. Chandra said that his nourishment should include vitamins B, C, D, E, omega 3, high calories and protein. We might have to switch his milk to something with a higher calcium and fat content.”

 

“Like goat's milk?”

 

“Perhaps. I'll have to look into it, but I want to call Chandra later.” Remus said as he polished off his breakfast. “You said we needed to have a talk. So let's lay Orion down, cast a muffling charm over him and get it over with because you seem apprehensive about this.”

 

“I just don't want to upset you.” Sirius sighed. “You already have enough issues when comes to your memories of Moony's adventures, that I don't want to you to worry that you might be at fault for something when you have no reason to be.” He stood up with Orion still tucked to his shoulder. “As you said, let's get this awkward chat over with before Puppy wakes up.”

 

“Hold on,” Remus said as he stood from the table. “I have an idea. Dobby!” He called to the air.

 

With a POP the aforementioned elf appeared. “Yes, Master Moony?” He asked as he rocked eagerly on the balls of his feet.

 

“Can you get us a bassinet for Orion and place it in the library, please. We want to keep our pup close as we work.”

 

Dobby bobbed his head and smiled. “Of course, Master Moony! I like this idea! Little Master needs special attention and lots of love. Dobby will find the best bassinet for Little Master!”

 

“Thanks Dobby, we really appreciate it.” Sirius said to the little elf. When he popped away to start his new task, Sirius turned to look at Remus with a soft smile. “What a great idea, Remus. I thought we would have to take him all the way upstairs, but I don't like the thought of him being out of our sight; not even for something like an adult conversation.”

 

“I know what you mean. I didn't like having to wash up this morning because I couldn't see him. I knew he was safe with you but I still rushed through my shower.” Remus softly admitted and leaned his head on Sirius's shoulder as he swallowed the slight lump in his throat. “I'm so worried about Orion. Our little hunter is so sick.”

 

“I know, I'm very familiar with your brand of worrying and I'm worried too.” Sirius whispered into Remus's hair. “We will help him get better. For better or worse, we are a family, a pack, and we will be strong for our pup. Come on now, let's have that talk.”

 

Orion remained oblivious to his parents concern and continued to sleep as they walked down the hallway. Now and them he would sniff his Papa's shirt, unconsciously scenting him, before sighing in his sleep. Like he was reassuring himself that that he was still safe.

 

When they reached the library, there in the center of the sitting area was an over-sized, mahogany bassinet complete with soft burgundy bumpers and a fleece baby blanket. It sat close enough to Remus's usual work table and just the right distance to still catch the warmth from the fireplace without risking any accidents. Before Sirius could settle Orion down, Remus waved his wand to summon a couple items.

 

“Accio shirts! Accio pacifier!” He said and in no time at all, the items came flying into the room and smacked into his outstretched hand. He folded the shirts into a square and made them into a thin pillow. “Now he'll still be able to smell us while he sleeps and hopefully won't wake up in a panic. Go ahead and swaddle him in the blanket then lay him down.”

 

Sirius went to follow the instructions but he still had to ask. “Why does he need to swaddled?”

 

“For some reason babies feel safer when they are wrapped up snugly. They seem to find comfort in the artificial hug. The same goes for sucking a pacifier. For werewolf pups, they also find their parents scents to be soothing when they are stressed. Pups depend most on their noses to know certain information, like identifying their parents, food, and even safe spaces that their parents have marked for them.” Remus rambled off in his teacher voice. Sirius smiled indulgently at his mate and laid their son down after wrapping him up like a burrito. Remus pressed the pacifier to Orion's lips and he immediately started to suckle on it, sighing contently.

 

They settled on the large, over-stuffed sofa side by side. Remus leaned into Sirius's muscular frame, taking comfort in his mate's embrace as his anxiety started to peak. Sirius wrapped an arm around Remus's shoulders and tried to calm his nerves. “How much of our last full moon do you remember?” Sirius breathed the question into Remus's soft hair.

 

Remus was a bit thrown by the seemingly random question. “ Not a lot, I'm afraid. I know that Orion was practically glued to my underbelly, despite there being no threats, and he still woke up shaking like a leaf. It was that morning when I felt he was too submissive to blame his behavior on his omega nature. He wasn't just submissive, he – he was scared.” He bit his lip and took a trembling breath. He slowly turned to meet Sirius's eyes. “What happened to my puppy that night?”

 

Sirius tried to soothe his mate's fear by hugging him. “Nothing dangerous occurred, I promise Luv. When the moon went down and Orion woke up he was a bit frantic, muttering “please, don't leave me”. He was scared that we had abandoned him.”

 

Remus's mouth dropped open in shock. “Why would he think that?!”

 

Sirius sighed deeply. “For most of the night Orion was practically glued to you or I. He favored your underbelly when you were lying down. At some point we stood up to get a drink from the stream, but Orion didn't follow us. We didn't notice that he wasn't with us for a few minutes. When we looked for him where we last saw him, he was still there. I thought he was asleep at first; but he laid there in a ball tucked in the tall grass shivering and he smelled so scared. I think he thought we stood up to meet a threat and he stayed down to hide. I think he was scared that we weren't going to come back from whatever threat it was that he couldn't see.” Sirius struggled to keep his voice even and get it all out at once. He could feel Remus shaking in his arms.

 

As the tears ran down his face, Remus starred sadly at the over-sized bassinet. “I thought he was past the fear of abandonment when we adopted him. Why don't I remember that?! I should have remembered my puppy being that traumatized!” He turned to Sirius, “Why didn't you tell me right afterwards?”

 

“I didn't know how to tell you without you blaming yourself.” Sirius winced at the hurt expression on his mate's face. “I thought that I could carry this sad memory on my own. I know your memory is hit and miss since we started weaning you off the wolfsbane and I didn't want to burden you any more than you already were.”

 

“Sirius, I love you, but sometimes you can be real thick.” Remus huffed. “This is our son! I deserve to know when these things happen.”

 

“I understand, I'm sorry. I-”

 

“You will show me that memory,” Remus demanded.

 

“OK. Now?” Sirius floundered. He knew he upset his mate and he just wanted to make things right again.

 

“Yes, now. I need to know everything that happened that night. Whatever it was, something happened to trigger Orion into an infant head-space as a mental fail-safe to make up for his insecurities. We need to figure out where it started and how to help him. It may not have started last moon but I'll take every clue I can get right now.”

 

“Alright, Luv. Let me get the pensive.” Sirius stood to retrieve the enchanted stone basin from his study.

 

Not very many people knew that Sirius Black was an accomplished occlumens. He trained with his father in the arts of dark magic and manipulation when he was younger . He was taught how to protect his true self behind a mask and he did exactly that until he found people he could trust with the real Sirius. He found a brother in James Potter and a side-kick in that rat Peter. But with Remus, he found his soul mate in that intelligent mind, those shy glances, introverted nature, devious wit and all of it was wrapped into a beautiful package. Finding out he was a werewolf only made Sirius want to find ways to protect him; from the world and even himself sometimes.

 

Then Harry entered their world and Sirius found someone else that was equally precious to him. Never had he met someone that scared him half as much as Harry had the habit of doing. He was scared to hold him at first, terrified he would drop him. Now years later and his pup still made him worry. Finding him at thirteen, scrawny and anxiety ridden, was a bittersweet relief. He found him in one piece but he was hardly whole after the years of abuse followed by the threats on his life. He was constantly in a state of anxiety. Even after Voldemort's defeat, Harry never seemed to relax and allow himself to just live in the clean slate that Sirius and Remus gave him. He still battled anxiety, an eating disorder and now he seemed to be lost in his mind completely dependent on his parents. Sirius just hoped that this sudden despondency wasn't a sign of decline.

 

He returned to the library, pensive in hand, and set it down on the coffee table in front of his expectant mate. “Let me place the memory in the pensive and then we only have to dip a finger to see it.” He pointed his wand at his own temple and closed his eyes. Ever so slowly he gently pulled forth the glowing blue strand of memory. He took his time so as not to damage it or alter it in any way. Once it was separated from him he slowly added it to the contents of the basin.

 

“What about Orion?” Remus asked, glancing over to the bassinet.

 

“We will still hear him and we can leave the memory anytime. We aren't dunking our heads in this one. He should be fine for two minutes, Luv.”

 

Together they each dipped a finger into the cool liquid magic and were immediately overcome by images. Eventually the magic settled and they were left staring out into a grassy clearing that was lit up by the full moon cast her rays and fireflies and fairies would sporadically light up and dance overhead. There were various logs and boulders dotting the landscape and areas of tall grasses. A slow moving stream meandered along the far side of the clearing. Overall, it was a rather magical place. Out in the middle of the field laid two large, dark bodies. Both of them were covered in thick fur, one a dark gray and the other, larger still, was solid black. They laid facing each other as they dozed, breathing long and slow as they relaxed.

 

For once Remus saw himself through Sirius's eyes. The dark gray fur belonged to a lithesome werewolf with long legs, powerful jaws and intelligent amber eyes. Moony was a rather intimidating beast. His companion, however, was nothing to sneeze at either. Padfoot was larger with broad shoulders, a long body packed with thick muscle, huge paws and a fluffy tail. His eyes were a clear blue and brighter than the stars. Remus always felt that Sirius's animagus could compete with dire wolves, he was that huge.

 

Despite it being a memory, Remus was afraid to break the calm silence, but he still asked, whispering, “Where is Orion?”

 

“Come closer, Luv.” Sirius said softly. He guided Remus to stand behind Padfood, faced him towards Moony and pointed. “Look right there, he almost blends in.”

 

Remus looked down at Moony's underbelly and promptly melted. Right there, curled up in a tight ball, was a tiny wolf pup. Fluffy black fur, a wet nose and twitching ears made up their son. He was resting his head against Moony's belly, sleeping rather fitfully. He would twitch suddenly every few moments.

“Oh, sweet Merlin! He is so tiny. I never knew how small he really was compared to us. He almost looks like a newborn pup.” Remus stood there in shock with a hand over his mouth.

 

“You should see him when he tries to keep up with your long strides. He's quite clumsy yet and he trips in your paw prints.” Sirius said fondly, smiling down at his little family. He often lays around on the full moon just watching his son try to find his paws.

 

They watched as another twitch and a yip from Orion caused Moony lift his big head and glance down at the pup. He yawned with a mouth full of sharp teeth fully displaying the predator he was and in the next instant he turned to tenderly lick at Orion's little face, soothing the pup and calming his dreams. Padfoot lifted his head too, cocking it to the side, as his mate bathed their pup. Orion never opened his eyes preferring to sleep through his impromptu bath. When Moony was satisfied with Orion's cleanliness he stopped the licking and proceeded to stretch and stand to shake out his fur. The sudden loss of his pillow jolted Orion into blurry wakefulness as he flopped over in the grass. Padfoot stood as well, shaking himself as he went. Sedately the two canines walked away from the thicket of grass and twigs towards the stream.

 

Remus watched them go but quickly noticed that only the two had left. Sirius's eyes grew sad as he sank to the ground. Remus looked down to his mate and watched with him as their little pup stumbled and turned around this way and that trying to see over the grass that was taller than him. But he couldn't see which way his parents went to know where to follow because as a pup his eyes are still developing and slightly clouded and his nose won't help because he can smell his parents everywhere but he can't pinpoint their direction. Remus crouched down next to Sirius with tears in his eyes as he watched his son panic at being forgotten. The poor pup curled into a tight ball with the tiniest of whimpers and squeezed his eyes shut as he laid in the indentation left by his daddy.

 

Five minutes felt like a lifetime before two panicked wolves came bounding over the meadow. Their ears were twisting around as they tried to pinpoint the sounds of Orion's near silent cries. Tails were high and their whole demeanor was nervous. Finally, they made it back to the thicket. Moony's whining chorused with Orion's as he descended on his pup. He curled around the little ball of fur and began to lick and check him over. Padfoot was nervously standing over them, his body nearly blocking both werewolves from view and leaning down to sniff and huff the fur of his poor pup.

 

Miserable and scared Orion hid himself against the soft underbelly, whimpering into the fur, as he continued to shiver with fear. He breathed the scent of his daddy, a scent he thought he would never smell again. He felt his daddy and papa licking him and trying to cover him in their scent, but it wasn't helping. Suddenly something was near his mouth, poking his lips, and he instinctively latched onto it, suckling whatever it was and it soothed his nerves almost instantly. He still whined and snuffled but he didn't want to let go.

 

Over head, Moony had frozen like someone had poured ice water on him. He was staring at his pup with wide eyed amazement. Padfoot noticed the change immediately. Moony was suddenly freaking out but Orion had abruptly calmed down. He bunted Orion with his nose to investigate and found the pup suckling on one of his mates tiny nipples, and unwilling to let go. He didn't dare traumatize Orion any further and turned his licking onto Moony, dampening his fur and trying to calm him for the sake of their pup.

 

Remus and Sirius noticed the change in the family too. It took Sirius a moment to remember what had caused the shift and suddenly he had an epiphany. He pulled Remus close and whispered in his ear. “I love you so much. He reached out to you for comfort and reassurance and you selflessly gave it. You soothed our pup in a way only a mate can. You nursed our baby boy when he was scared that night. He needs you now, my Moon. He won't eat for me but he might nurse for you.”

 

Remus was stunned. He nursed their pup and didn't remember doing it. Now Orion was slowly starving because he craved the comfort and here lay the answer to their problem. He knew he wasn't producing milk, but maybe there was something that could help.

 

Eventually the family of canines settled down to wait out the rising dawn while Remus and Sirius watched the transforming werewolves. Remus groaned through it as usual and passed out, naked in the grass. Padfoot remained standing over them both as Orion cried and screamed as his fur receded and pale skin flushed with sweat. He laid over Remus's chest, shaking, as he reached for his Grimm papa.

 

“Please, don't leave me.” He quietly pleaded before he too passed out. The memory faded as Padfoot transformed too.

 

 

They left the pensive with tears streaming down their faces. Remus darted to the bassinet, desperate to check on his pup and see his face. Sirius was right behind him. They looked in and saw that Orion was still sleeping, safe and sound. Remus turned around and buried his face in Sirius's neck softly crying.

 

“Shh, shh my Moon. He's alright. I'm sorry, I kept the memory from you.”

 

“But he's not alright!” Remus gasped. “He's so sick and we don't know how long he has been like this. How could I forget how scared he was that night? He thought we abandoned him!” Remus cried. It broke Sirius's heart, this was exactly what he was hoping to avoid.

 

“I'm so sorry, Remus. I never intended to hurt you by keeping the memory from you. I certainly didn't know there was a clue to help our pup. I can't change the mistakes I made but I can try to atone for them. Let me help you research how to help Orion.” Sirius begged his mate.

 

Remus leaned back, wiping his eyes. “W-we need to find maternity books and look up lactation assistance. I might need to call Chandra to see if there is something else I can do.” Remus quickly cast a tempus charm. “We need to do as much as we can before Orion needs fed again in two hours.”

 

Sirius nodded along. “Alright. Let's see what we have in here.” He turned toward the vast array of shelves and began summoning books on maternity and lactation. Almost a dozen books flew off the shelves. “We can start with these, and if there aren't enough answers I'll call Chandra. If it comes down to it I'll create a spell or something. Anything to help Orion.”

 

In two hours they had torn through the pile of books, writing and comparing notes. But it seemed like they were running in circles. One author said that natural breastfeeding was best, while another said that breast milk lacked most major nutrients. They weren't getting anywhere enough to help their sick pup. Sirius had even started preliminary notes for crafting a spell. However, their work came to a halt when Orion started to sniffle, finally waking up from his nap. Remus lifted the swaddled teenager out of the bassinet and was greeted with big teary eyes.

 

“Awe,” Remus cooed. “What are those tears for? Does my sweet pup need his nappy changed?” He thumbed Orion's tears off his cheeks as his lip wobbled. “Where did your dummy go, Luv?” Remus checked the bassinet and sure enough it was laying beside the makeshift scented pillow. “Here you go, Daddy found it for you. Let's go get a fresh nappy and then we can try a bottle for lunch.”

 

“I'll come with you, I can't look at anymore dusty pages.” Sirius stretched as he stood from the table. “Besides, Papa needs to relearn how to change a nappy.” He said ruefully.

 

“Indeed you do.” Remus smirked.

 

They walked side by side upstairs and down the hall to the refurbished nursery. Orion remained misty-eyed the whole way, his green eyes were glassy and slightly vacant. Remus assumed that his vision was inhibited for some reason and it made him nervous. He whispered to Orion as Sirius petted his hair while they walked. They wanted Orion to know that they were there for him.

 

The nursery's fairy lights lit up when they entered, illuminating the powder blue walls and soft white accents in the room. Remus laid Orion on the changing table and began to unswaddle him. Orion hardly moved, he looked so sad. Remus stripped him from the waist down while Sirius went to the bathroom. He came back with two clothes, one wet and other was dry. He wiped the dried tears from Orion's face before he added soap to the wet cloth and handed it to Remus.

 

“It's OK, Orion. Daddy is going to freshen you up, Pup.” Remus whispered. He washed Orion's skin clean but he still smelled off. There was something bitter about the strange scent. He looked again but Orion was clean. He bent down and buried his nose in Orion's hair by his ear and took a deep whiff of his scent. That's when it hit him. He bit his lip to hold in his gasping breath but he couldn't hold his tears back.

 

“Remus,” Sirius said from beside him. “What is it, Luv?” He wrapped his arm around his mate's shoulders to offer comfort but his tears only fell faster.

 

“He smells sick. Oh Gods!” Remus cried. “S-something is seriously w-wrong and it's bad enough that his scent has c-changed.” He was hiccupping as he leaned over Orion and petted his face and hair. “He always smelled like cinnamon and oranges. Now it's bitter like sour milk. Oh baby, I'm so sorry!”

 

Sirius finished diapering Orion and buttoned up his onesie before he picked him up. He guided Remus to the rocker with one arm around his shoulders. “Sit down, Luv.” He immediately placed Orion on his mate's lap and snapped his fingers. Winky appeared with a fresh, warm bottle. “Thanks, Winky.” He quickly tucked a blanket around them both. “Remus you need to try to get him to drink as much as you can. I'll be right back, my Moon.”

 

Sirius ran as fast as he could to the floo room. He might have thrown too much powder into the fire, but he didn't give a damn. “Highlands Alpha Ricard!” The fire place bloomed with lime flames and rush of air. Immediately the face of Ricard appeared to float in the hearth.

“Mr. Black? What do I-”

 

“Please Alpha! There's no time,” Sirius cut him off. “I need you to get Chandra and all the supplies she needs. Orion is worse!”

 

Ricards face grew concerned. “What has happened?”

 

“He has become listless and he's not interested in his food at all. His scent has changed, Remus says it is like sour milk. His eyes are cloudy and far away like he's star gazing.” Sirius listed the symptoms quickly.

 

“Fuck! I'll get Chandra and we will there in a few minutes. Keep him warm and keep trying the bottle.”

 

“I'm calling his original healer as well. She worked on him long before I ever found my pup.”

 

“That's fine. The more heads we have on this, the better.” He pulled his head out and the fire died with the call ending.

 

Sirius threw more floo dust into the embers and the fire roared to life once more. “Hogwarts infirmary, emergency!”

 

“This is Madame Pomfrey. What is the emergency?” Her face appeared and her voice was serious and clipped. Until she made eye contact. “Sirius Black?” She whispered in disbelief.

 

“Poppy, I need you to come through immediately. It's O- it's Harry. My pup is very sick.”

 

“Oh no, Dear Gods. What is wrong with the poor boy?” Her voice softened with emotion at the mention of her favorite patient.

 

“Just bring everything you might need to treat an eating disorder. I'll explain everything when you arrive.”

 

“Very well. Hold the connection open, I'll be just moment.” She said as she got to her knees.

 

“Thank you, Poppy!” Sirius said with stark relief.

 

Soon enough the dragon lady of the infirmary was walking through the fire. She was still as short and frail looking as Sirius remembered, but he knew she was tough as Goblin steel. Poppy carried a brown leather bag with her which she handed to Sirius. “Where is Harry?” She asked as she dusted soot off her robes.

 

“He's upstairs with Remus. You should know that we adopted him, twice, and his new name is Orion Rory Black. The second adoption was a werewolf ritual and he has been infected, with his consent of course. He is an Omega. We have been in contact with the local Pack and they have offered their support. The Alpha and their healer are on their way. Since he was adopted he has been declining with his appetite suffering the most until recently when his mind receded and he has been reduced to an infant in a teenager's body.”

 

“Good Merlin!” Poppy exclaimed, hand coming up to cover her mouth.

 

“Alpha Ricard has seen this happen in other omegas. There is no known treatment besides old fashioned tender love and care. But no other omega has ever lost complete interest in food. It's only been a few days and he has refused most of his meals and now his eyes are clouded like he's star gazing and Remus says his scent has soured.”

 

The hearth flared just as Sirius finished talking and Ricard and Chandra stepped out of the flames. Ricard had wrapped an arm around Chandra's shoulders in order to make traveling easier. Chandra carried a leather skin ruck sack that was almost as big as her. Sirius went to greet them immediately.

 

“Alpha Ricard, Chandra.” Sirius touched his cheek to each of theirs, scenting friends. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I want you both to meet Madame Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts' own healer. She has treated Orion during his school years and is most familiar with healing him.”

 

“Well met, Madame.” Ricard tilted his chin to her.

 

“Well met.” Chandra said, offering her hand to shake.

 

Poppy accepted with a smile. “Well met, indeed.”

 

“Sirius, where are your mate and pup?” Ricard asked.

 

“In the nursery. Remus was trying to get Orion to take a bottle.”

 

Sirius lead them up the stairs and down the long hallway. Every step felt like forever until he got back to his family. He was scared for his pup, as well as his mate. If anything happened to Orion it would shatter Remus and Sirius would lose them both. When they finally reached the nursery, Sirus ushered them in and closed the door before he boosted the warming charms. It was too cold for poor Orion. Remus was still sitting in the rocking chair, eyes red and puffy from crying, trying to gently coax Orion to latch onto the bottle.

 

Orion was wrapped in the fleece blanket in an attempt to keep him warm. His head was tilted back and he was staring through Remus with glazed eyes. Remus kept trying to convince him to suckle but the milk would only gather on his lips and run down his chin. His breathing was shallow and he barely moved, pale as moonlight and as frail as a pixie. It was heartbreaking.

 

“Remmy, my moon.” Sirius whispered as he approached. “Has he taken anything?” He asked as he stood over them and wrapped arm around his mate.

 

Remus looked up as fresh tears fell down his cheeks. “Not a drop and he's so cold.” He looked to the others in the room, desperation in his broken amber eyes. “Please, help him.”

 

Poppy moved first, wiping her damp eyes, years of experience with trauma and emergencies driving her forward. She dropped her cloak and charmed her bag to float at her side. She straightened her spine and hardened her resolve as she stepped up to the distressed parents. “Let me get a look at him boys.” She said as she scooped Orion up into her arms. “I need to see my favorite patient. I have missed him since he graduated. The school is too quiet without his shenanigans” She had to adjust her hold to support his head better but she had no problem holding his weight. “Oh, hello again, my little Muru.” He didn't respond verbally, but he blinked and his nose twitched. “It's mummo Poppy, Luv. I'm going to look you over and see if we can get you on the mend.” Her words took on a Finnish accent as she spoke. She couldn't help it though. She had so much affection for this little boy. With as much time as he spent in her infirmary, she got attached rather quickly. Eventually, she started to teach him some words and phrases.

 

Poppy laid Orion on the changing table since it was the perfect height, she steeled herself and began to disrobe the poor lad. She had done it so many times over the years that she sank into the old habit of talking to herself as she examined him. “Too light.. Pale.. Definitely undernourished, possible anemia.. Yellow nails; malfunctioning liver.. poor little lamb.. Severe dehydration.. Oh my, my, my. You're never easy Muru.” Finally she looked up, over her shoulder.

 

“You boys are lucky. He has almost completely given up.” Her words made Remus cling to Sirius and cry harder. “Fortunately, I never give up. I'm going to be using a few muggle methods in order to deliver his treatment. A simple intravenous catheter to treat the dehydration and to deliver the high concentrated medications and most importantly a small naso-gastric tube to deliver a specific formula directly into his stomach. Neither will hurt him in the long term, I assure you, they are just a tad drastic.”

 

Sirius and Remus shared a look before Remus nodded back. Sirius held his mate tight and turned back to Poppy. “We trust you, Poppy. Drastic conditions require drastic actions. Please, do everything you can to help our son.”

 

“Very well, boys.” She started to roll up her sleeves. “It should only be few moments until I'm done. You may not want to watch.”

 

“Actually, I wanted to talk to Ricard and Chandra about something.” Remus croaked. “Sirius you need to show them the memory for them to understand.”

 

“Alright, Luv.” Sirius summoned the pensive, rather than leaving to fetch it. He didn't want to leave his family again. “It's still queued up to play. You only have to touch the surface with a finger to view it.”

 

Both werewolves dipped a finger into the memory and they were immediately taken over. They stood perfectly still with their eyes wide open and glazed over with the same pearl-like magic as the liquid pensive. They were only under the magic for few minutes, but it was long enough to view the entirety of the memory presented to them. Chandra was in tears and Ricard's face was closed off.

 

“I know, it was just as grievous for you see that as it was for us to relive it. But I really need your help.” Remus all but pleaded with the other two werewolves. “Did you see what Orion did to comfort himself, before we transformed?”

 

Ricard's brows furrowed in thought and his shoulders hunched as he crossed his arms. It was Chandra who had the epiphany though. Her brown eyes lit up with understanding and surprise.

 

“He was nursing!” She whispered with amazement as she grasped Ricard's arm . Ricard was staring at her, stupefied and almost lost.

 

“W- what are you talking about, Chandra?” Ricard asked, half afraid to know the answer.

 

“Don't you see, Alpha?! Orion had sought comfort in the form of nursing from his parent like any actual newborn pup. That could be our bridge to getting him on the path of healing, physically and mentally. If he can nurse and still receive real nutrition, then he can learn to associate nourishment with comfort and perhaps develop a real appetite.” Chandra explained to the whole room.

 

“Precisely.” Remus said, relieved that someone understood to some extent. However there was the issue of the method he had in mind. “There is on small detail that I want to discuss with you.” Remus took a deep breath. “I want to be able to truly nurse my son and provide him with real nourishment, comfort and reassurance. I need to able to lactate, for my pup.” He tried to maintain an even tone but his voice nearly broke at the end.

 

Once more, Ricard and Chandra were stunned into almost complete silence. “Remus, you may not have to got that far. Orion can nurse dry from you and still receive formula from the naso-gastric tube.” Chandra tried to reason.

 

“I know I may not have to, but I want to” Remus said with conviction. “If he can really get everything from a tube then why should I nurse him at all? I'll tell you why; I could tell from the memory that he wants to nurse. He needs me to nurse him. I would do anything for my puppy. Whose to say that the naso-gastric tube will work for him long-term? He can't keep it forever. I want to have an alternative available. If he is willing to try then so am I.”

 

Sirius stepped behind his mate, holding his shoulders, and kissed him on the temple. He fully supported Remus in this endeavor. “I love you.” He whispered in Remus's ear.

 

“I find that to be a splendid idea.” Poppy finally spoke up from the corner. Her declaration was quickly followed by the soft gagging and whimpering from Orion. The sound startled his parents and they dashed to his side. “He's alright, but he's hardly happy with his situation.” She reassured them.

 

Poor Orion looked absolutely pathetic laying there on the changing table. His hair was fluffed up in a black halo around his face, his eyes were red and puffy from crying and tear tracks were dried on his cheeks with fresh ones still running. There was a small catheter tapped and bandaged to his right arm and inserted where his onesie sleeve was pulled up. A thin, pale yellow tube was charmed to stick to his right cheek. The end of the tube had a purple, plastic tip that was tapered and had plug in it that was tucked behind his ear. The other end of the tube entered his right nostril and went through the nasal cavity, down the back of the throat and the esophagus and entered the stomach. It had caused him to start gagging and seemed to be the source of his upset since he didn't understand what was happening.

 

“Oh, puppy,” Remus cooed, trying to see through the tears. “It's alright. I know that felt awful. It's over now.” He went to pick Orion up to comfort him but he found Poppy stopping him with a hand on his arm.

 

“I know you want to hold him, dear, but we can't work on you while you're holding him.” Poppy smiled with sympathy. “I need you to lay down so that Lady Chandra and I can examine you and figure what would work best.”

 

“I can hold him for you, Remus.” Ricard spoke up, having said very little thus far; he had been standing in the background. “I'll take your pup while you are seen and Sirius can sit with you. Neither of you have to worry while I hold him for little while. Besides, we need to work on his bond to the Pack as well as yours.”

 

“What bond to the pack?” Sirius asked.

 

“The moment you reached out to us for assistance and then I offered you full support of the Pack we created a tentative bond. Your pup can feel the bond but he doesn't know what to do with it. He needs an Alpha to help complete the bond and neither of you are an Alpha. I suppose this is my round-about way of asking your family to join my Pack.” Ricard smirked slightly.

 

Sirius and Remus were a bit stunned at first but they needed to focus on the situation at hand. Sirius spoke for them both then. “We will have to talk more about it, but we want to postpone our decision. For now, we would be grateful if you would hold and comfort our pup during this procedure, Alpha Ricard.”

 

Ricard smiled softly. “It would be my pleasure and I look forward to our talk. Now, you go ahead with the healers. I'll stay here with Orion and we will await your return.”

 

“Thank you, Alpha.” Remus said softly before he bent over to kiss Orion's forehead. “I'll be back Puppy, I promise.” He whispered to him.

 

Ricard stepped in and gently picked Orion up and cradled him to his chest securely. Orion blinked owlishly up at the big wolf holding him, nose twitching as he scented him. Ricard smiled at the parents and then turned away to walk over to rocking chair and settled himself where Remus had been.

 

Sirius had to guide Remus out of the room since he didn't really want to leave. They couldn't stay though. Remus had to lay down and there wasn't a bed ofr him in the nursery.

 

Ricard adjusted his hold and reclined Orion a bit more than he had been before he started rocking him. As they rocked, Ricard regarded the hopeful addition to his pack. The poor little guy looked absolutely knackered. His pretty green eyes were tinged gold from sinking into his base instincts, but they were also rimmed red and puffy from crying. He seemed to be staring through Ricard instead of at him. Ricard tickled the palm of his left hand and found his grasp reflex to be weak. Snapping his fingers by Orion's ear did get him to blink though. Lastly, he petted the area around Orion's mouth and the lips themselves. The reaction was slow, but Orion opened his mouth slightly to accept the offered appendage. As a reward Ricard placed his little finger in Orion's mouth, pad down at first to pet and stimulate his tongue, but then he turned it pad up as Orion closed his mouth around the finger so as not to accidently scratch the roof of his mouth.

 

There was a small pulling sensation around his finger and then Ricard felt the fist proper suckle as those lips locked snuggly and that tongue curled to throb lightly. It made Ricard smile and his eyes watered a bit. By the gods, there was still some fight left in the pup.

 

“I'm calling to the elves of this home.” He gently spoke to the room. “I request your assistance, please.”

 

Two quiet pops later and there stood, Dobby and Winky, both looking warily at the stranger that called. He was holding their precious Master and they were alone in the room.

 

“I have been temporarily charged with your young Master while his parents are with healers in another room. I called to request that you bring me a small bowl of sugar.” Ricard said to the suspicious elves.

 

Two sets of ears tilted at the same time. “Why do you ask for sugar?” Dobby asked.

 

“I'm trying to get Orion to suck on my finger in order to stimulate his suckle reflex. In a little while Remus is going to come back and try to get Orion to breastfeed naturally. I'm trying to teach the little pup how to properly latch and suckle. The sugar will entice him to keep trying.” Ricard explained.

 

Dobby looked to Winky and nodded. Winky popped away, but Dobby stayed and watched the stranger closely. Winky was back in seconds with a tiny bowl filled half way with sugar. She set it on the table beside the rocking chair and slowly backed up to stand next to Dobby again. Ricard grinned and then returned his focus to Orion as he removed his finger.

 

His tongue poked out like it was trying to follow the finger, yet he made no move to close his mouth and he didn't fuss at it being taken away. Ricard quickly dipped his wet finger in the sugar and brought it back to Orion's lips. He poked his lower lip in offering again. It was still slow, however Orion did reopen his mouth and took the finger again. Ricard saw and felt the pup pause as he registered the new flavor on his tongue, still, he must have decided that he liked it. The sucking got a bit stronger as Orion tasted the sugar. Just that little bit of extra pressure caused a wide smile to split Ricards face.

 

He looked back at the two elves still avidly watching. “Thank you, both.”

 

Down the hall, exactly forty steps away from the nursery door (yes, Remus counted them), the impromptu exam was taking place in the nearest clean bedroom. Remus was laying on the bed, sans all of his upper layers, shivering as Poppy and Chandra poked and palpated his chest and abdomen.

 

Sirius laid on the bed too. He was closer to the center, on his side and grasping Remus's hand in silent support.

 

“How long have you been taking the Wolfsbane potion?” Chandra asked.

 

“Since I was about twenty. So almost nineteen years.” Remus answered.

 

“And how long have you been weening yourself off of the potion?” She countered.

 

“A little over a year now. I have managed to lower the dosage to ten milliliters currently.”

 

Chandra nodded, impressed. “Very good. That should be low enough that there's very little in your system right now. That makes it easier when I have to give you the cleansing potion.”

 

“Why would it be easier? Why do I need one for that matter?” Remus asked curiously.

 

“You need one because you are planning to breastfeed your pup. If you have traces of the Wolfsbane in your system you can expel it through your milk and it is poisonous to young werewolves. The small dose makes this easy because the cleansing potion is meant to remove the last traces of Wolfsbane and it does so with quite some force. The larger the dose being cleansed, the harder the cleansing. It basically forces you through the withdrawal. However, since you have managed to lower the dosage so far you shouldn't feel too bad.” Chandra explained.

 

“I must say Remus,” Poppy interjected. “You have done very well. Your body condition has dramatically improved. Overall, you're in perfect health, yet I will still be prescribing you a concentrated nutrient potion.”

 

“What for, Poppy?” Remus was confused. He was healthy but he needed a nutrient potion anyway?

 

“It's not just for you, dear. Remember; whatever you consume, so will Orion. Babies get their nutritional needs met through their mothers milk, it's true, yet still the mother must meet the nutritional needs of the babe and herself too. It takes a lot out of the body to produce even an ounce of milk. Mothers have been known to lose weight while breastfeeding. You, however, may be physically fit, but you don't have extra fat deposits to burn in order to meet the demand of your child.” Poppy sat down on the edge of the bed.

 

“Orion might eat like a baby bird right now, but our hope is that his appetite will improve. He is still a teenager and he still needs to fuel a nearly matured body. That is going to pull a lot of calories from you. My intention is to nearly overdose you with the extra supplements so that you can maintain your own health and still provide Orion with nutrient rich milk.”

 

Remus stared at her for moment, dumbfounded. “Oh.” he hadn't even thought that far about this endeavor. He was so focused on doing what he can for Orion that he didn't consider what it would cost him if he wasn't fully prepared. Then again, this is exactly why he asked for aid. Sirius squeezed his hand, gaining his attention. He turned to see his mate smiling at him, possibly knowing what he was thinking. He still wanted to go ahead with it, but the information helped him fully understand the gravity of this undertaking.

 

“I think we should stop right at a B cup.” Chandra said to Poppy. She was measuring his pectorals with the length and width of her hand. “It should be enough to meet the demand without causing Remus too much added discomfort. Too much and he would be overtaxing his back and shoulders.”

 

“Hmmm, yes. I quite agree.” Poppy said as she stood again. “Now, Remus, that portion of the procedure is going to be awkward and a bit tricky. It's best if you try not to move too much. Lady Chandra will be lending me some of her magic and I will be performing the charm. It will effect both left and right pectorals at the same time. I will try to minimize the discomfort to the best of my ability but I can't say you won't feel it. When you get Orion to latch I'll let you have a few minutes to feed him, but I will step in to attach his first supplement feed to the naso-gastric tube. He won't feel it at all, but he may not nurse long enough the first few times to get what he needs.”

 

Remus nodded sadly in understanding. “I appreciate your frankness, Poppy. I'm ready.”

 

“Alright then,” Chandra said. “Cleansing first and then we will get down business.”

 

Ricard swore he felt time stand still as he continued to rock Orion. It had to be the longest half hour of his life as he sat and waited, completely absorbed in the tiny, sick teenager laying in his lap. The poor thing had ended up whimpering himself into a fitful sleep. He stopped suckling on the sugar a short while ago and proceeded to sniffle and whine in discontent. Ricard felt his heart throb as he watched the pup try to look about, searching for his parents most likely, before he closed his eyes.

 

Ricard's ears picked up the sound of footsteps in the hall and they were approaching the nursery. He quickly identified Chandra's light steps and relaxed. The others were close behind her. She came in after softly knocking on the door. She was biting the lower lip of her tiny smile as she stepped aside and held the door open. Sirius had once again taken it upon himself to guide a blushing Remus with an arm around his waist as they walked in side-by-side. Poppy brought up the rear with a satisfied expression, but she remained by the door with her hands clasped in front of her.

 

Remus, however, had returned in a change of clothes. He had slipped into a pair of soft, blue cotton lounge pants, slippers and a dark grey dressing gown. The reason was immediately apparent considering he had suddenly acquired a pair of modestly ample breasts that slightly stretched the fabric of gown that was tied closed tightly. His eyes landed on his sick son and any embarrassment he harbored was quickly pushed aside in favor of his need to hold his pup.

 

No one had to say word. As soon as Remus entered the room, Ricard stood from the rocking chair and prepared to transfer Orion back into his daddy's arms. The sudden motion woke Orion from his slumber but he never had the chance to fuss. He was quickly resettled in Remus's lap and turned inward to lay slightly on his left side. The new position would allow him to comfortably nurse and still leave the new tube exposed for easy access.

 

Remus opened his robe to expose his chest and used his left hand to lift his right breast a bit. He rubbed the extended nipple along Orion's lips in offering. Thankfully, Orion had practiced what he should do and he opened his mouth to accept but he didn't latch yet. Remus winced as he squeezed a few drops of thick milk onto Orion's tongue. Orion smacked his tongue against the roof of mouth, sampling the new taste. After a few moments he did finally properly latch on and proceeded to slowly suckle.

 

It was the moment that as he pulled a proper mouthful that Remus began to softly cry again. Tears of relief fell as a weight lifted off his chest and he finally breathed. He stared down at the miracle that was his son. A warm weight landed on his knee and he glanced up to see Sirius, his mate, his smiling face wet with his own tears, had fallen to his knees in front of the rocking chair and stared as well. They cried together and tried not to disturb Orion less he stopped suckling.

 

They basked in the moment until Poppy slowly joined them and sadly reminded them of the discussion they had. She had conjured a metal pole with a hook at the top. A small, clear bag that filled with yellowish liquid hung from the hook and a long piece of tubing was inserted into the bottom of the bag.

 

“Well done, Remus.” Poppy whispered. “I was concerned it would take longer for him to latch, but you handled that nicely. Now, this will only take a moment, my dears.” She said as she took the end of the tube and plugged it into the piece that hung behind Orion's ear. His nose twitched, but the steady pull of his suckling never stopped while she worked.

 

“I actually have a confession, gentlemen.” Ricard said. “I knew what you were trying to achieve and I hoped to lessen your difficulty. I thought to try a little trick that I had seen the mothers in my pack do. They would stimulate the pup's suckling reflexes and teach them how to properly latch by getting them to suck on a finger that was dipped in sugar. I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries, I only wished to help you and your pup.”

 

Remus might be emotionally drained, but he was honestly touched that the Alpha would go to such lengths for their little Orion. Sirius only stood and quickly embraced the man in a tight hug, whispering his gratitude into his shoulder. Ricard was a bit shocked but he recovered enough to pat Sirius's shoulder in comfortable silence.

 

After the whirlwind that has occurred over the past twenty-four hours, everyone could finally breathe. They all felt without having to voice it that everything was going to be okay. They finally had a plan to help Orion rather than try to play it by ear and hope to Merlin they get it right. No, now there were steps they were going to take and they had a support system in each other. Granted; recovery is a very long road, indeed. But little Orion had everything he needed to make the journey.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New vocabulary:  
> Muru= little breadcrumb, Finnish term of endearment  
> Mummo= nana in Finnish


End file.
